FOLI uses only the best balsamic vinegar
Produced in Modena, under the protected PGI tradition and aged to perfection, our mature balsamic vinegar is made exclusively from cooked grape must and wine vinegar, with no added caramel, colourants or preservatives.
Balsamic illusion and caramel
In many commercially produced balsamic vinegars, caramel colouring is added primarily for appearance, not flavour. Consumers often associate high-quality balsamic vinegar with a dark, glossy colour, and caramel helps achieve a consistent look quickly and inexpensively. Caramel may be added to darken lighter vinegars, make young vinegars appear more aged, or even to create visual uniformity between batches. In these products, caramel is used in very small amounts and functions as a colour stabiliser, not as a sweetener.
Speed versus tradition
Authentic, traditionally made balsamic vinegar gets its colour naturally through cooked grape must, long aging and concentration and slow oxidation in wooden barrels, a process that can take years, even decades. By contrast, industrial balsamic vinegars are often produced in months. Adding caramel allows producers to replicate the dark colour of aged vinegar without the time, cost or complexity of traditional ageing.
Does caramel affect taste?
Caramel colouring usually has little to no impact on flavour when used correctly, however, its presence is often a tell-tale sign that a vinegar is younger and has undergone less natural ageing. Prioritising consistency and cost efficiency doesn’t automatically make it bad, but it does place the product in a different quality category.
How to choose a caramel-free balsamic vinegar
Reading the ingredient list is the easiest way to check if your balsamic vinegar contains caramel. If you want a more natural product, it should list only grape must and/or wine vinegar. Look for longer ageing statements and be cautious of very dark vinegars at very low prices! FOLI Balsamic Vinegar is matured and does not contain caramel.